1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical communication equipment and, more specifically, to micro-electromechanical (MEMS) devices for use in such equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Adaptive optics is a field of optics dedicated to the improvement of optical signals using information about signal distortions introduced by the environment in which the optical signals propagate. An excellent introductory text on the subject is given in “Principles of Adaptive Optics” by R. K. Tyson, Academic Press, San Diego, 1991, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A representative adaptive optical element is a movable deformable mirror that may be used, for example, in an optical communication system designed to route optical signals. In such an application, the mirror is tilted to direct the optical signal to a selected output port. In addition, the mirror may be deformed to compensate for possible signal distortions accrued during prior signal propagation. The mirror deformation is chosen such that the distortions are significantly reduced, thus improving receiver performance. However, one problem with such prior-art systems is that the mirror rotation and deformation may be disadvantageously coupled.